Safest way to clean up boot partition - Ubuntu 14.04LTS-x64, Ubuntu 16.04LTS-x64

clean-up-boot-partition-ubuntu.md

Safest way to clean up boot partition - Ubuntu 14.04LTS-x64, Ubuntu 16.04LTS-x64

Reference

Case I: if /boot is not 100% full and apt is working

1. Check the current kernel version

$ uname -r 

It will shows the list like below:

3.19.0-64-generic

2. Remove the OLD kernels

2.a. List the old kernel

$ sudo dpkg --list 'linux-image*'|awk '{ if ($1=="ii") print $2}'|grep -v `uname -r`

You will get the list of images something like below:

linux-image-3.19.0-25-generic
linux-image-3.19.0-56-generic
linux-image-3.19.0-58-generic
linux-image-3.19.0-59-generic
linux-image-3.19.0-61-generic
linux-image-3.19.0-65-generic
linux-image-extra-3.19.0-25-generic
linux-image-extra-3.19.0-56-generic
linux-image-extra-3.19.0-58-generic
linux-image-extra-3.19.0-59-generic
linux-image-extra-3.19.0-61-generic

2.b. Now its time to remove old kernel one by one as

$ sudo apt-get purge linux-image-3.19.0-25-generic
$ sudo apt-get purge linux-image-3.19.0-56-generic
$ sudo apt-get purge linux-image-3.19.0-58-generic
$ sudo apt-get purge linux-image-3.19.0-59-generic
$ sudo apt-get purge linux-image-3.19.0-61-generic
$ sudo apt-get purge linux-image-3.19.0-65-generic

When you're done removing the older kernels, you can run this to remove ever packages you won't need anymore:

$ sudo apt-get autoremove

And finally you can run this to update grub kernel list:

$ sudo update-grub

Case II: Can't Use apt i.e. /boot is 100% full

NOTE: this is only if you can't use apt to clean up due to a 100% full /boot

1. Get the list of kernel images

Get the list of kernel images and determine what you can do without. This command will show installed kernels except the currently running one

$ sudo dpkg --list 'linux-image*'|awk '{ if ($1=="ii") print $2}'|grep -v `uname -r`

You will get the list of images somethign like below:

linux-image-3.19.0-25-generic
linux-image-3.19.0-56-generic
linux-image-3.19.0-58-generic
linux-image-3.19.0-59-generic
linux-image-3.19.0-61-generic
linux-image-3.19.0-65-generic
linux-image-extra-3.19.0-25-generic
linux-image-extra-3.19.0-56-generic
linux-image-extra-3.19.0-58-generic
linux-image-extra-3.19.0-59-generic
linux-image-extra-3.19.0-61-generic

2. Prepare Delete

Craft a command to delete all files in /boot for kernels that don't matter to you using brace expansion to keep you sane. Remember to exclude the current and two newest kernel images. From above Example, it's

sudo rm -rf /boot/*-3.19.0-{25,56,58,59,61,65}-*

3. Clean up what's making apt grumpy about a partial install.

sudo apt-get -f install

4. Autoremove

Finally, autoremove to clear out the old kernel image packages that have been orphaned by the manual boot clean.

sudo apt-get autoremove

5. Update Grub

sudo update-grub

6. Now you can update, install packages

sudo apt-get update

For an all in one try this:
sudo dpkg --list 'linux-image*'|awk '{ if ($1=="ii") print $2}'|grep -v uname -r | while read -r line; do sudo apt-get -y purge $line;done;sudo apt-get autoremove; sudo update-grub

Should be

sudo dpkg --list 'linux-image*'|awk '{ if ($1=="ii") print $2}'|grep -v `uname -r` | while read -r line; do sudo apt-get -y purge $line;done;sudo apt-get autoremove; sudo update-grub

(there was a escaping issue in the original one-liner).

Otherwise great.

see https://gist.github.com/ipbastola/2760cfc28be62a5ee10036851c654600#gistcomment-3047160

very helpful, thank you . Case II worked perfectly.

Thank you

Thanks! it works for me, I had a full disc error

Thank you. I had to used both method several times and both worked.

Thanks very much. It works for me
https://gist.github.com/ipbastola/2760cfc28be62a5ee10036851c654600#gistcomment-3047160

my full automatic way including Ubuntu 18.04 :

apt purge $(dpkg --list linux-{headers,image,modules}-\* \
| awk '{ if ($1=="ii") print $2}' \
| egrep '[4-9]\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+-[0-9]+' \
| egrep -v $(uname -r | cut -d"-" -f1,2))

apt autoremove
update-grub

Life saver ! Thanks !

Ubuntu 16.04.6 LTS

None of the usual methods worked, and when I manually deleted the files in /boot they returned.

This worked.

https://askubuntu.com/questions/563483/why-doesnt-apt-get-autoremove-remove-my-old-kernels/1225285#1225285

my full automatic way including Ubuntu 16.04, 18.04, 20.04 :

apt purge $(dpkg --list linux-{headers,image,modules}-\* \
| awk '{ if ($1=="ii") print $2}' \
| egrep '[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+-[0-9]+' \
| egrep -v $(uname -r | cut -d"-" -f1,2))

apt autoremove
update-grub

It works, thanks !

Case 2 worked.
/boot is now clean
reboot ok

Thanks.

Muchas gracias, funciona perfecto, tendré que darle más espacio al boot la próxima vez

I somehow feel more comfortable if instead of awk '{ if ($1=="ii") print $2}' i write awk '/^ii/ { print $2 }'.

Case 1, 2b

The command can be automated if preferred.

sudo apt-get purge $(sudo dpkg --list 'linux-image*'|awk '{ if ($1=="ii") print $2}'|grep -v `uname -r`)

thanks, worked a treat!

Thanks.

Thanks a lot, much appreciated!

Thank you and well done! It fixed my problem and I learned something :)

Tkx for the Case II (Can't Use apt i.e. /boot is 100% full), it rocks !

I used this gist to create a script which generates an "apt purge" command which can then be copy and pasted in a shell to execute it and free up some space. Hope it helps: https://gist.github.com/danielfaust/442a125ff5c5b17e60519a12f10f8113

Thanks, it's help me a lot

After removing one of the file returned after running this code, I rebooted my server and I can't access it any longer.
It is refusing connection, server is on AWS
AWS Instance status checks: Instance reachability check failed

$ sudo dpkg --list 'linux-image*'|awk '{ if ($1=="ii") print $2}'|grep -v uname -r``

Any idea how I can fix this.

Unfortunately, I had some "stubborn" linux images that were reinstalled every time I tried this solution.
Fortunately, I've found this script https://launchpad.net/linux-purge which helped :)

Perfect, thanks !

The 2nd case saved me! Thank you a lot, you are awesome!

\(-ㅂ-)/ ♥ ♥ ♥

100% to 43% thanks

so great